Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Retail workers working today and tomorrow

108 replies

Darkestnight · 23/12/2018 08:16

I wish you good luck and let's hope there are not to many rude customers to deal with on one of the biggest shopping days of the year.
I had quite a few yesterday and just smiled at him and that got to him big time. Let's also hear any stories you have on customers what has happened today or the last few days.

OP posts:
CurlyhairedAssassin · 23/12/2018 14:21

What’s the blister pack thing? I don’t have any regular medication so am clueless with pharmacies.

gillybombilly · 23/12/2018 14:29

I did my shopping yesterday (not very busy) and a poor staff member was getting a real mouthful of a woman because the supermarket had ran out of pigs in blankets (think like really shouting about an inch from her face).

The girl looked scared stiff and like she was going to burst into tears, so (totally out of character) I turned round and shouted “bloody hell stop being such a bully, there are the packs of sausages and bacon over there, it won’t kill you to make your own.”

I expected a mouthful back, but her husband dragged her away, apologised to the staff member and I got tracked down by the manager and was given a £20 gift voucher as a thank-you!

CaptainCallisto · 23/12/2018 14:33

Blister packs are trays where you put people's meds in the appropriate day/time slot for them for the week. Mostly used for people who struggle with remembering what to take when, or can't manage to pop pills out of the packets. They take ages to do and usually you wouldn't get more than four weeks at a time.

If the lady in question had let us know beforehand we could have got extra prescriptions from her GP, and got them done in good time. Half an hour to do six weeks of medication, including a schedule 3 controlled drug, with no prescriptions was never going to happen!

CaptainCallisto · 23/12/2018 14:35

Something like this:

Retail workers working today and tomorrow
OliviaStabler · 23/12/2018 14:42

All I will say, on behalf of all retail workers (that I used to be a part of for numerous years), on Christmas Eve don't be the assholes who won't leave the shop at closing time and we literally have to politely remove you from the shop. Retail workers have a life too.

Hueandcry · 23/12/2018 14:47

I work in the food dept of a well known high st shop. I had a lovely customer demand that I give him an out of date item for free. I explained I wasn't allowed to sell it & took it off him but he was insistent I should give it to him for nothing Xmas Smile

Beefandmixed · 23/12/2018 14:51

I work in retail and I’m on the click and collect desk. Iv been in all weekend and I’m in tomorrow too so spare a thought for me it’s going to be mayhem!

Mudmonster · 23/12/2018 14:53

@curlyhairedassassin blister packs are where the pharmacy puts all of a patients medication into a prepackaged tray so it’s easier to take. We do it for elderly patients or people who find it hard to remember to take their medicine. Like this.

Retail workers working today and tomorrow
KonekoBasu · 23/12/2018 14:57

Retail at Christmas is crap, at working it for years when I was younger I actually can't face going shopping at this time of year!

Really though I'm mainly hoping that those retail workers who are working for companies who aren't doing so well still have jobs in the New Year.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 23/12/2018 14:59

Blimey, pharmacy peeps, that looks like a right ballache!

UnapologeticallyUnhinged · 23/12/2018 15:07

I worked in retail for over 20 years, latterly as store manager. Christmas Eve wasn't so bad as it was generally quieter and we could quietly prep for sale. We would close about 4 and stay until 7ish removing decorations and 'red tagging' (not very Christmassy!). It was Boxing Day that was the nightmare. I would get there about 7am to open at 9 and there would ALWAYS be a huge queue of people bringing stuff back to get a refund for full price to then ask for it back so they could buy it at sale price! For a few quid I'd rather save on travel/parking and stay home!

Note - I NEVER shop on Boxing Day now and like to shop at places that respect their staff enough to stay closed on Boxing Day (John Lewis/Home Bargains etc)

countrygirl99 · 23/12/2018 15:10

OH is a chimney sweep. He 8s booked through until Christmas by mid October every year. Without fail he will get calls the last week before Christmas from people who demand he cancels someone who booked more than 2 months ago to fit them in and then gets abuse when he says he can't

Frankswife87 · 23/12/2018 15:12

I feel sorry for the super market delivery drivers! Plus the online packers....

AuchAyeTheNo · 23/12/2018 16:50

I used to work in a well known DIY shop when I was a teenager. One year on Christmas Eve there was heavy rain and the outdoor garden section got flooded. We had to close it because of health and safety. Que a lady in her 40’s screaming abuse at me because she couldnt buy a plotted plant as a gift Hmm

GunpowderGelatine · 23/12/2018 16:59

I worked in retail as a student in MKOne (remember that!) and on Christmas Eve it was a Sunday and other shops shut at 4pm but we shut at 5pm for some reason. Cue an influx of shoppers at 4.05am buying anything and everything. We were still putting things through the till at 5.30 and customers had the audacity to moan and tap their feet. One girl who I worked with missed her train home to spend Christmas with her parents Sad

Original poster
Darkestnight · 23/12/2018 17:42

That was harsh today non stop. No rude customers but I've had flour all over me and a clumsy customer spilt all the mulled wine all down the bottom of the belt I could of cried.
Some lovely customers tho but I'm annoyed at the stragglers who thought they could carry on shopping gone 4pm....then they all descend on my till and I shut the till up as was half an hour into my time.

OP posts:
DontCallMeCharlotte · 23/12/2018 17:48

We used to run a village shop and post office and the lead up to Christmas was brilliant, if exhausting. We closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day. We lived above the shop. One year we had the full gamut: Christmas Day - customer slash friend knocks on door to collect his Special Delivery (gift for wife) thst had been left with us. Boxing day there was banging on the door. A lad had walked two miles from the next village (which had no shop) for fags. The next nearest open shop was another four miles so we served him. New Year's Day, the phone rang at about 9am. 9a-fucking-m on New Year's Day!!

"are you open today?"
"no"
"I should think not, you work so hard and need a rest. Anyway, could I just pick up a few bits?"

FFS!

Ollivander84 · 23/12/2018 17:55

No retail luckily but I'm working as a carer Christmas day and Boxing Day Smile

SecretWitch · 23/12/2018 18:06

One child working in EMS. Today will be spent in a whirl, trying to get as many people as possible from hospital to home. My other child is a stockest for a big brand store. He will be non stop on his feet tomorrow until 7.

sweeneytoddsrazor · 23/12/2018 18:36

Worked yesterday and today and although it was busy it was nowhere near as busy as it should have been for the time of year, which is probably due to on line shopping. Majority of people have been ok, couple of idiots one man screaming at me there wasnt enough staff and he had to wait. We had every single checkout open thats 23 manned tills 17 self scan customer service desk and cigarette kiosk not sure where he expected anyone else to serve him. Also had a few unpleasant ones this morning including one who aas going to cone bacj later and punch my teeth down my throat because we opened for browsing at 9:30 and couldn't serve till 10. Also had someone threaten to stab a customer service colleague as they wouldnt refund something with no proof of purchase.

dementedma · 23/12/2018 18:39

I went to M&S today for my allocated time slot and was really surprised how quiet it was. Perfectly organised, friendly staff and cheerful shoppers.Got everything in now and most of it prepped so don't have to go near a shop again until after Christmas. happy days

Rufusthebewilderedreindeer · 23/12/2018 18:45

Im working in a dress shop on boxing day ...only three hours though

Hope Christmas eve goes well for anyone working...apparently they have had to kick people out of our shop on chrismas eve

Ironingboard · 23/12/2018 18:46

I work for a large parcel company and was told that seeing as the customers parcel wasn’t out for delivery today (they paid for 48 hour service which doesn’t include weekends so their parcel wasn’t late) I should get in my car and physically deliver their parcel myself - the women actually ended up pushing me to tears calling me every name on the sun so I hung up on her for coming up with such a stupid opinion and getting personal. for someone who works in customer service I don’t know how people sleep at night talking to people the way they do.

DSHathawayGivesMeFannyGallops · 23/12/2018 18:49

This is the first xmas in 5 years I haven't been at the till-face. IME Xmas Eve can either be chilled or every wanker in town rocks up at ten minutes to close. My favourite was the drunk idiot who arrived just after we'd locked the door to rebuy a load of shit she'd lost whilst pissed and not watching her bags in another shop. Kicking, crying and screaming on our door step to the point she nearly gave herself an angina attack. We obviously took her in, checked she was ok and served her but then she wouldn't fucking leave. 1hr and 2 missed trains later, she left and we had a race to catch our last trains.

I did 6-2 last Christmas Eve and we were only open Sunday hrs so opened at 10. I had my lunch break at 10-11 so only had 3 hrs of the barbarian hoardes the public. It was great.

Smurfybubbles · 23/12/2018 18:53

I worked for a large toy shop for 5 years and the shit we had to put up with every year was unreal! My heart goes out to all in retail this time of the year, it's not the long hours and sheer busyness it's the assholes that treat you like shit because they have failed to prepare properly for Christmas. Don't even get me started on the returns period afterwards Angry